1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods and systems for using touch-sensitive displays and, more particularly, to methods and systems for animating images selected from touch-sensitive displays to reflect user selection of the images.
2. Background and Relevant Art
Touch-sensitive displays are well known in the computer industry. A touch-sensitive display enables a user to select one or more displayed images by touching the portions of the touch-sensitive display where the selected images are displayed. A touch-sensitive display is useful because it can be used for data entry. A variety of computing devices incorporate touch-sensitive displays, including, but not limited to personal computers, information kiosks, photocopiers, facsimile machines, vending machines, ATMs, control devices for machinery, and so forth. Touch-sensitive displays are particularly useful for small computing devices, such as PDAs (personal device assistants), which are configured without keyboards for data entry because of size constraints.
FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a PDA 100 that is configured with a touch-sensitive display. In this embodiment, the PDA 100 includes various components that can be used for data entry, including a plurality of finger buttons 110, a touchpad 120, a touch-sensitive display 130, a pointer 140, and a touchpad keyboard 150 that is displayed on the touch-sensitive display 130. It will be appreciated that this embodiment of a PDA is merely illustrative and should not, therefore, be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.
According to one embodiment, the touchpad 120 is configured to receive text input that is written to the surface of the touchpad 120 in the form of a shorthand derivative, such as ‘graffiti.’ Text can be written to the touchpad 120, for example, with the pointer 140 or another device. Although the touchpad 120 is shown to be separated from the touch-sensitive display 130, it will be appreciated that in certain embodiments that the touchpad 120 and the touch-sensitive display 130 are integrated into a single display.
Although touchpads are useful for data entry, some users have found it difficult to learn the various shorthand notations that are required by the various PDA devices. Accordingly, many existing PDA devices are programmed to display a keyboard 150 that can be utilized by a user to select the text that the user desires to enter into the PDA. The keyboard 150 can be utilized, for example, when the user touches the keys of the keyboard 150 with the pointer 140, with the user's finger, or with another device. In the present example, the user has successfully entered the text (“Now is the time for all goo”) into the PDA by touching the touch-sensitive display 130 at the locations on the keyboard 150 where the respective letters are displayed.
The keyboard 150 is useful, particularly for those who do not wish to learn the shorthand notation required to enter data through the touchpad 120. The keyboard 150, however, can also be difficult to use at times because the keys of the keyboard 150 are so small. The small size of the keys makes it easy to inadvertently select the wrong key, particularly when the user is using a relatively large finger to make the selection. Even when using the smaller pointer 140, it can still be difficult to ensure the correct selection has been made. Accordingly, users typically find themselves making frequent glances away from the keyboard 150 and up at the text that has been entered to ensure the correct key selections have been made.
Although the compact size of a PDA makes it relatively easy for a user to glance back and forth between the keyboard 150 and the typed text, it is still an inconvenience that would be desirable to avoid. Accordingly, there is currently a need in the art for an improved method for displaying images, such as keyboard keys, on a touch-sensitive display and in such a manner as to obviate the need for a user to glance back and forth between the displayed images and the typed text.
It will also be appreciated that similar problems extend to other existing devices that are configured to display the selections that are made by a user through other input device including, but not limited to, speech recognition devices.
Accordingly, there currently exists a need in the art for improved methods and systems for reflecting user selections received by computing devices.